For many band members, being in band can be stressful, but worthwhile. All the hours spent practicing the songs and flag line perfect the band. Miranda Webb, sophomore at SHS, has been in band for about four years, playing the bass clarinet. She loves band, because “you can absolutely be yourself, and no-one judges you because they’re the exact same way. We are like a huge family, with three wonderful directors to lead us.”

Miranda is also a Lionstepper and part of the flag line. When she first joined flag line in May of her eighth grade year, she was the youngest person to be on it. Opening up about this, she states, “It was extremely scary being the youngest and one of the newest girls on it, because I didn’t know any of the upperclassmen yet.”

Band takes up a lot of the members’ free time, with performing at football games, pep rallies, the All-Region contest, and more. Miranda spends more than four hours a week doing band activities, like “flag practices, practicing the halftime show, practicing bass clarinet for All Region, and reviewing band dances for Lionsteppers.”

Although band takes up a lot of a person’s time, it has many beneficial effects, like teaching resilience, discipline, and time management. All of these methods are taught well, because the band members have to learn from their mistakes and keep trying to  make their music perfect, at the right timing.